Good treats for silkies include:
- Frozen peas or sweetcorn kernels - leave them cold for summer and serve hot for winter.
- Cracked corn.
- Sunflower or safflower seed kernels.
- Mealworms.
- A cabbage hung in the run.
Do silkie chickens need special food?
Do Silkies need special feeds? Silkie chickens can eat the same foods as any large fowl chicken can, they do not need any special feeds in their diet. I give mine small or short cut layers pellets, the same as I do with all my bantams, this makes it a little easier for them to eat and they only cost about 2% more than the standard.
How much yogurt should I Feed my Silkie chicks?
This mix can be fed daily as a daily scratch at 60-100 grams per adult silkie. This is a good treat, especially given in supplementation to chicks in the 9-20 week category. Just keep in mind that silkies have a limited ability to digest lactose, but the probiotics and protein derived from the yogurt hold many benefits.
What can I Feed my chickens?
The birds also get chopped eggs and grated carrots once a week, greens like kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce as they are available, leftover tomatoes, or any fruit that is starting to go bad. In the summer, they absolutely love watermelon!
What kind of seeds are good for chickens?
Sunflower or Safflower seeds are a good source for the poultry diet. (4) All feeds contain some shell or lime and other mineral matters in small quantities. In pelleted feed ash is useful to furnish material for egg-shells and feathers.
What vegetables can silkies eat?
Vegetables: Lettuce, beets, broccoli, carrots, kale, swiss chard, squash, pumpkins and cucumbers.
How do I keep my silkies healthy?
However it is important to check them over regularly for lice, mites and other parasites- with extra feathers comes extra responsibility! Silkies require no special diet; to keep them fighting fit be sure to feed them a balanced diet rich in protein and a healthy mix of seeds, grains and vegetation.
When can silkies eat layer feed?
18 weeksChicks should be transitioned to layer feed at 18 weeks. Layer feed should not be fed to chickens younger than 18 weeks unless they have begun egg-laying because it contains calcium that can permanently damage the kidneys, reduce lifetime egg production and shorten a bird's lifespan.
Can silkie chickens eat tomatoes?
Absolutely! Chickens love this healthy snack. Packed with vitamins, fiber and antioxidants, tomatoes make a great chicken treat. Just don't let them eat the leaves or flowers.
Can Silkies eat mealworms?
It is illegal to feed mealworms to chickens because they are a health risk to both the birds and the people consuming the meat and eggs produced by insect fed chickens.
What is the lifespan of a silkie chicken?
seven to nine yearsSilkies are a surprisingly hardy breed. You can expect them to live for seven to nine years on average. Their long lifespan may be due to their low egg laying capabilities. This means that because they lay eggs less often, they experience less strain on their body.
Do Silkie chickens need grass?
Give them as much space as you can. Free-range chickens often have a healthier diet, as they will supplement their feed with grasses and bugs. Make sure that part of the yard is shaded or covered so that the silkies have protection from rain and heavy sun. You can set up an overhang or plant trees for shade.
Can silkie chickens eat sunflower seeds?
A: Sunflower seeds are a good treat for your chickens. They're widely available, chickens typically love them, and for a treat, they're quite nutritious. They contain methionine, for example, an important amino acid for birds.
Can I feed my chickens just scratch?
You should not feed chicken scratch on a daily basis, but you can instead use it as an occasional treat. Most chicken scratch is made out of cracked corn and other grains. These are tasty foods for your chickens, and they'll enjoy gobbling them up.
What is toxic to chickens?
Foods that are poisonous to Chickens Raw or dried beans. These are dangerous for both humans and also chickens, consumption will result in serious illness or death. Apple seeds. Feel free to feed your chickens apples, but do not feed them apple seeds.
What scraps not to feed chickens?
Hens should never be fed food scraps that contain anything high in fat or salt, and do not feed them food that is rancid or spoiled. Specific types of food that hens should not be fed include raw potato, avocado, chocolate, onion, garlic, citrus fruits, uncooked rice or uncooked beans [2].
Can chickens eat banana peels?
Chickens can eat banana peels. Though some chickens won't eat the whole peel and prefer to chop into the little pieces. However, ensure that you are not exposing your birds to dangerous elements if you're thinking of feeding your flock banana peels.
Should you bath Silkie chickens?
If bathing for showing purposes, do it as close to the show date as possible but not on the day itself. The day before is best for Silkies. Once everything is set up, retrieve the Silkie you are washing and slowly place them into the water.
How do you take care of baby Silkies?
Similar to any other baby chick, Silkies must be kept dry and warm, as they are very fragile when they are young. Keep their litter clean and dry. NEVER brood chicks or bantams on cedar shavings or on slippery surfaces. Pine shavings or rice hulls make good bedding for chicks.
Do Silkies like baths?
1:155:10How To Give Silkie Chickens A Bath - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd on the little legs. So we gotta give them bath. So now we're gonna just put our silkies in theMoreAnd on the little legs. So we gotta give them bath. So now we're gonna just put our silkies in the water. Oh there we go you gotta get their wings. Down just slowly put them in the water.
How to get silkie heart?
by Helen Chambers for Amber Waves. Like all chickens, the best way to a silkie’s heart is through its stomach. When you approach with food, they’ll come running excitedly, and watching them enjoy their meals is always a delight!
What organ do chickens eat?
Instead, they swallow it down into an organ called the ‘gizzard’, where it is ground up by grit and small stones. Free-range chickens will eat grit they find lying naturally on the ground, but it may be an idea to supply them with some grit or ground up oyster shell as well.
Do chickens need protein?
While your chickens are moulting, they may need extra protein. You can supply this by scattering cat kibble. GREENS - Chickens need plentiful greens. If they’re free range, they’ll nibble at weeds (also at your prized veg, so keep them away from your cabbage patch!) to get their greens.
Do you put pellets in chicken feeders?
Many people put layer pellets in the feeders, perhaps along with some grit to help digestion (you may not need this if your chickens are spending most of their time free-range outside), and scatter a grain-based feed in their enclosure during the day.
What To Feed Silkies?
Silkies may look very different from other chickens with their fluffy coats of feathers, but they’re still chickens.
How Much Do Silkies Eat per Day?
As I mentioned in the opening, like most chickens, fully-grown Silkies will eat about ¼ lb of feed per day. Bantams will eat around ⅕ of a lb at a rough guess.
How Many Times a Day Should You Feed Chickens?
Feeding chickens is the easy part. They love food, and generally speaking, they’re pretty good about not overeating.
In Summary
As you can see, Silkies are easy to raise, they don’t eat or cost much, and give back plenty in the form of fun and eggs anyway.
What and how to feed your back yard Silkies
There are few things to keep in mind that makes feeding Silkies slightly different from feeding other chicken breeds. For one, silkies will have some difficulty picking up and swallowing the large layer pellets and if you decide to go the commercial mix route, it will be worth spending roughly 2% extra on the short cut layer pellets.
Feeding according to life stage
Hatchlings can survive for 2 days after hatching on the nutrients derived from the egg yolk alone, but you can offer them chick starter crumbs from day one. They have higher protein (18-20%) and energy requirements than adult chickens and it will be best to stick to a good quality chick starter such as MannaPro Non-medicated starter crumble feed.
Winter feeding
Silkies need higher calorie feed in winter as well as higher protein to support their pre-winter molt. You can add high protein treats such as eggs or mealworms to their diet more regularly during winter. Shelled or husked sunflower seeds, cooked wheat, still warm in the mornings, and sprouted seeds are excellent winter treats.
What treats can I give to my Silkies?
Giving treats is a lovely way to bond with your silkies and it is also very useful to tame more timid birds. Treats should make up no more than 10 % of their diet.
What are Silkies not allowed to eat?
Although silkies chickens may seem to like to peck at nearly anything and everything, there are a few things that should best be avoided. Below is a list of common household foods that your silkies won’t thank you for.
What supplements do Silkies need?
Apart from the already mentioned special requirements, you may wonder whether adding a vitamin and mineral supplement will be worth it.
How much feed do silkies need and can you feed a silkie too much?
Silkies rarely overeat and I have never heard of an obese silkie. An overweight silkie is extremely uncommon! What we should rather be concerned about, is giving too many treats which will lead to under-eating of their balanced ratio that may lead to some nutrient deficiencies and subsequent health problems.
